Distilling apparatus



J. H. BURLINGHAM DISTILLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 18. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1, W .HH HMI HHHHIHIIWIHIH W Jz r A? g NVENTO 8mm MQMM' A TTOVRNE'Y Patented Apr. 26 1927.

UNITED STATES JAMES H. BURLINGHAM, OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE TEXAS COM- PATENT OFFICE.

PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

I DISTILLING APPARATUS.

Application filed Otcober 1a, 1921. Serial a... 502,437.

This invention relates to improvements. in distilling apparatus and more particularly to distilling apparatus adapted for inflammable liquids such as oils, or'the like.

Heretofore it has been the practice to employ liquid level indicating devices in connection with stills for distilling oils and the like which consist of glass tubes connected with the stills by conducting passages. It has been found that considerable danger of fire exists because of these glass tubes and numerous instances have occurred where the glass tubes have broken and fires have started in this portion of the apparatus. It is of considerable importance that such fires shall not be communicated to the still and it is one object of the present invention to provide automatic means which will shut off communication'between the indicator and the still when a fire occurs.

Another object of the invention relates to an automaticvalve operating means comprising a plurality of weights and flexible means connecting the weights to the valves whereby considerable force is exerted upon the valve to start its operation and subsequently the action of the weights is discontinued one at a time.

Another object relates to the provision of means for operating a lever or trigger for releasing the operating weights whereby the actuation of the trigger is rendered reliable and dependable. According to this feature an auxiliary weight is provided in combination with guiding means for insuring that the auxiliary weight will strike the trigger at a predetermined point and thus the mass of the auxiliary weight is employed for initiating the movement of'the trigger.

Qther objects will appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a still and an automatic operating means of my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the disconnecting means.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the automatic .trigger and guiding means taken .on the line 33 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of'Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 with parts broken away.

Fig. 6 is a modified form of temperature beams 13 in any suitable manner.

upon a usual framework such as 11. A

corresponding framework 12 spaced from the framework 11 provided in combination therewith, supporting means for a pair of horizontal beams 13. An I-beam 14 is at- I tac hed to the ceiling or other portion of the building structure above an intermediate portion of the beams 13 for a purpose which will be subsequently set forth.

The oil level indicator comprises an upper connecting pipe 20 having a U bend 21, connected through a valve 22 to the upper end of a vertical pipe 23; and a lower connecting pipe 24 having a' U bend 25 connected through valve 26 to the lower end of the pipe 23. .The pipe 23 is provided With a pair of spaced outlets 27, each connected through a valve 28 to a glass tube 29. A scale (not shown) may be positioned adj acent to the glass tube 29 for-indicating the level of the liquid therein. It will be seen that when the valves 22,26 and 28 are open, the. level of the liquid within the still 10 is indicated by the liquid in the tube 29.

Clamped to the hand Wheelof each of the valves 22 and 26 is a shaft 30 near the free end of which is a cable drum. Thus the cable drum 31 is operatively connected to the stem of the valve 22 and similarly the cable drum 32 is connected with the valve 26 and rotation of these cable drums serves to close or open the corresponding valves according to the direction of rotation. The free end of each shaft 30 is mounted in a suitable bearing such as 33, supported on a convenient portion of the main framework.

An auxiliary framework comprising a pair of upright members 40 is secured to the At the lower extremity of these members 40, 40, there is provided a plurality of spaced parallel bars 41, 42, 43, bolted one to the other and to the framework 40 as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. The spacing of these bars is such as to provide. guide ways for a cable having the portions 45, 46 extending in a vertical plane. One portion of the cable is Wound around and secured to the cable .drum 31. The cable passes therefrom downwardly through the guide way formed by the horizontal bars and around a pulley 47, through the other guide way and its other end portion is wound around and secured to the cable drum 32.

The pulley 47 is rotatably mounted between a pair of spaced parallel clamps 50 which are secured to an upwardly extending supporting bar 51. The upper extremity of the bar 51 protrudes through the guide way formed by the members 41 and 42 as shown in Fig. 4 and is provided with a slot 52 (see Fig. 5).

. A leveror trigger 61 is pivotally mounted upon a pair of ears 59 on the lower portion of the frame element 41 and is provided with a finger extension 62 extending over the upper face of the horizontal bar 41. In the normal position of the apparatus this finger 62 enters the slot 52 and thus retains the bar 51 in position. The'other extremity of the trigger 61 passesthrough a pair of slots in the side walls of a guiding pipe 63 which is aflixed to the frame by means of a l) shaped clamp 64. Slidably mounted within the pipe 63 is an auxiliary weight 65 which is secured to a .rod 66 in any suitable manner;- The upper end of the rod 66 is attached to a flexible rope 67 passing around apair of pulleys supported upon the I-beam 14. Therope 67 is formed of flexible inflammable material such as hemp or the like and at its other end is attached to the lower passage 27 in such a manner that a portion sponsive to the heat of combustion is shown in Fig. 6 and comprises a fusible link 68 formed of a metal having a relatively low fusing pomt. This link is attached at one end to an end of the flexible rope 67 and at its-other end is attached by a rope or wire weight 71 is-secured to the clamps 50 by means of a flexible chain 72. The weight 71 is somewhat lighter in weight than the weight 7 O and in normal position preferably clears the floor about four feet. The Weight is preferably provided with ashock absorber 73 comprising a flexible spring. The arrangement is such that when the weights are released from the suspended position,

shown in the drawings, the lighter weight there is provided a suitable wire connection 7 such as a wire extending from one end of the trigger 61'to a distant point-. This wire may be carried over suitable pulleys and through a guide way, and may terminate in a suitable operating handle (notshown) at the remote point-0f control.

In operation, assuming that a still is being employed for distilling inflammable liquids and that the gauge glass is connected with the interior of the still by having its valves 22, 26 and 28' in their open position,

the level of the liquid within the still 10 will beindicated in the glass 29. The cable drums 31, 32 and theweights 70, 71 are then in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which,

the flexible cables 45, 46 are wound upon the cable drums. Assuming that a fire breaks out in the vicinity of the indicator 29, the glass tube is apt to be broken and thus inflammable liquid will become ig-. nited. The contiguous portion of the rope 67 Will then either smoulder or becomeignited and as soon as the rope burns through I the auxiliary Weight 65 is released. The weight 65 drops by gravity through the interior of the guiding tube 63 and contacts with the free end'of the trigger 61. The intensity of the blow depends upon the mass of weight 65 and upon the distance through which the weight travels/ Since these factors are constant the force of the blow is the same in every case and thus theoperation of the trigger 61 may readily be made extremely reliable and dependable. The guiding tube 63 serves to guide the weight. 65 into engagement with a trigger 61. at a predetermined point upon the trigger.

The movement of the trigger 61 in a clockwise direction (see-Fig. 3) removes the extension 62 thereof from engagement with the slot 52 of the bar 51 upon which the wei hts 70, 71 are supported. The weights 7 O. 1 thereupon fall downwardly carrying with them the flexible cables 45, 46, and

move the cable drums 31, 32 in. a counter clockwise direction relative to Fig. 2. The shafts 30, 30 are rotated and thus the stems of the valves 22, 26 are rotated in a direction to close the respective valves. When the ball 71 strikes the .floor a portion of the weight or mass which operates the valve closing mechanismis thereby rendered ineflective, but the remaining weight comprising principally the weight 70, is suflicient to. close the valves completely. The reduction of the operating weight is such as to reduce the strain on the valve operating pipe and there- I fuel to the flames. ,Spread of the fire is i and thereby prevented and the attention of the maintenance force may be directed to extinguishing the flames, and need not be diverted to the closin of the supply valves. After the fire has een extinguished, the glass tube may be replaced, the weights 70, 71 restored to the position shown in Fig. 2, the auxiliary weight 65 restored to the position shown in Fig. 1 and a new hemp rope 67 installed. The apparatus is then ready for subsequent use. f

In order to operate the valve closing mechanism from a distance the handle'to which the wire 80 is attached is operated the motion thereof is transmitted through the wire 80 to the free end'of the trigger 61. The consequent operation of this trigger releases the bar 51 and the weights 70, 71 connected therewithand operates the closing valves as before. It is understood that this operation may takev place whenever there appears to be danger of a general conflagration, the wires 80. of a: group ofstills being carried to some de sired central point. When normal operation is to be resumed the weights 70, 71 are lifted into the position shown in Fig. 2 and the valves 22, 26 again opened, the device being maintained by means of the finger 62 of the trigger 61 as before.

Apparatus of preferred form and 0011-, struction has been illustrated and described for the purpose of showing a way in which this invention may be practiced, but the in ventive thought upon which this application is based is broader than this illustrative embodiment. It is therefore understood that the scope of-the invention is not to be limited by the present disclosure, reference beiug had to the appended claims for that pursage, automatic means for closing the valves comprising cable drums operatively connected with the" respective valves, means for rotating the drums, a trigger for normally restraining said rotating means, auxiliary means for withdrawing the trigger and releasing the rotating means. including a weight suspended above said trigger, and means adapted to be severed by the heat of combustion disposed adjacent the indicator and normally supporting said weight.

2. In distilling apparatus for inflammable liquids, the combination of a still, an indicator spaced therefrom for indicating the level of liquid therein, conducting passages from the indicator to the still, each passage having a control valve for closing the passage, automatic means for closing the valves comprising cable drums operatively connected with the respective valves, a plurality of weights adapted when released to actuate the cable drums and to be rendered inactive in successive order, a trigger adapted to maintain the weights normally in suspended position, means for withdrawing the trigger including severable means responsive to the heat-of combustion disposed adjacent the indicator, and auxiliary means supported by said severable means positioned above said trigger'a'nd adapted to impart a releasing blow to said trigger upon the parting of said severable means.

3. In distilling apparatus for inflammable liquids, a still, an indicator spaced therefrom for indicating the level of the liquid therein, closure means for cutting off communication between the indicator and the still, a suspended Weight for actuating the closure means, means for normally maintaining the weight in suspension comprising deliver a blow to the trigger, severable means normally supporting the auxiliary weight above the trigger, and guiding means for guiding the auxiliary weight to a predetermined point upon the trigger upon the breaking of the severable supporting means.

4. In flistilling apparatus for inflammable liquids, a still, an indicator spaced therefrom forindicating the level of the liquid therein, closure means for cutting ofi communication between the indicator and the still, a suspended Weight-for actuating said closure means, means for normally maintaining the weight in suspension comprising a trigger, means for releasing the trigger comprising an auxiliary weight adapted to deliver a blow tosaid trigger to permit the weight suspended thereby to actuate said closure means, and severable means normally supporting the auxiliary weight above'the trigger. i 1

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of October, 1921.

JAMES H. BURLING-HAM. 

